Machine for elevating and mixing concrete.



A. W. ALTHOFF.

MACHINE FOR ELEVATNG AND MIXING CONCRETE. lAPrLlcATloN FILED APR;9,1914.y

A.w. ALIIICEE. l NACIIINE ECN ELEvAIIN'C AND NIIxINC CONCRETE.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 9, -1914. A

Patented Sept. 28, 1915.

4I SHEETS-SHEET 2.

@A I M @m0/INEI A. W. ALTHOFF. y l MACHINE FOR ELEVATING AND MIXING CONCRETE.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 9, I9l4.

1,155,190. Pmmedsept. 28, 1915 4 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

,I I I u I Tumi I I A. w. ALIHOFFQ MACHINEFOR ELEVATING AND MIXING CONCRETE.

APPLICATION FILED APB-A9. 1914. 1,155,190. l Patentedsept. 28, 1915.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 4.

lm? 11 -LQhlIIIIIIIII WWIIIIIIIIII 11 W/ TNESSES WEA/Tof AT T Off/VE Y rar rc.-

- entre sauras MVACHNE FOR ELEVATING- AND MIXING CONCRETE.

Specieaton of Letters Patent.

Application filed April 9, 1914. Serial No. 830,591.

To @ZZ /Lckom t may concern.'

Be it known that I, 'AUGUST W. ALTHOFF, a citizep of the United States, residing at Oklahoma citv, in the county of Oklahoma and State of klahoma, have invented cer? tain new and useful Improvements in Machines for Elevating and Mixing Concrete,

of which the following is a specification, reference being had to the accompanying drawings.

Under the present method of building a concrete building, the water, sand, cement, crushed stone, and other materials used in the concrete are mixed together at a lower partvof the building or on the ground and then hoisted upward to be poured into the forms. ln handling concrete in this Way, it often has time to harden or set before reaching the forms.

An object, therefore, of this invention is to overcome this difficulty.

` Another object is to provide means for more thoroughly mixing the materia-ls entering into the concrete mixture.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will be set forth in the ensuing description.

One embodiment of the invention in practical form is shown by the annexed drawings, in which z- Figure lis an elevation View of the machine. Fig. 2 is an elevation-view of the upper part of the machine in the direction of the arrow 2. i Fig. 3 is an elevation View of one of the separable sections of an elevating portion of the machine, inthe same direction as'Fig. l. iFig. Llis an enlarged elevation view of the lower part of the machine in the same direction as Fig. l, with parts broken away to expose interior arrangement. Fig. 5 is an enlarged elevation view of the upper part of thevmachine in the same direction as Fig. 2. Fig. 6 is a sectional view taken on liney G--G of Figs. 2 and 5. Fig. 7 is a sectional view taken on the line 7-7 yof Figs. 2 and 5. Fig. S is an enlarged plan View of the machine. v

v Similar characters of reference designate like parts in. all the figures.

A substantially rectangular frame l() is"- provided to support other parts., and is carried at. each corner by a ground wheel ll ,to allow it to be moved from place to place or along a building during use. This frame includes four outer cln'innel-iron bottom or sill members l2 riveted together Viny the form of a square, and four angle-iron top members 13 similarly arranged; the sill members and top together by angle-iron corner posts'lfl.

An extra pair of sills 15 extends through the lower part of the 4frame l() to support other parts of the machine, and the ends of these sills are riveted to the opposite ones of the four sills l2 first named. y

A circular sheet-metal hopper 16 is mount.. ed in the frame 10, the upper edge of this hopper being flanged outward, as at 17, and riveted to an annular reinfoigeement `18 for support. This reinforcement 1S is riveted to a T-iron post 19 at the center of each sidel Patenten sept. 2e, maar members being connected of the frame lO, and is supported at foiny more. points'by- T-iron posts 2O which are footed on angle-iron corner braces'2l riveted to the sills12. Smaller hoppers 22, of which there are four shown, are mounted in the upper part of the frame l2 in position to deliver their contents into the larger hopper 16, these hoppers 22 being provided with an external flange`23 which supports them b v resting upon the slieetunetal covering 24 of the framelw, The

vided with lateral wingsv2`5 for convenience in filling.

To vinsure properv feed of the materials from the hoppers 2 2 to the larger hopper 16, each hopper 22 isy provided witha vertical feed-shaft 2o which extends through a delivery opening at the lowerend of said hoppers the upper ends of these feed-shafts being journaled in bearings 27 on diametric bars 2S which span said hopper-s, while the lower ends are journaled in bearings 29 secured to diagonal braces 30 riveted to the frame l0. Une of these feed-shafts, however, extends down through its bearings 29 and brace 30 in order to be provided with a gear-wheel 31 for driving it, and the lower end of this feed-shaft is journaled in a bearing 32 secured to the lower frame l0.

portion of these hop- A pers 22 above the covering 24; may be pro-f part of they Each feedshaft 2G is provided with'a ,l

sprocket-wheel 83 just below thehopper 16,

shaft26 to allow downwardy passage of-the- I sand, cement, stone, or other material to be` fed to the hopper 16, the size of said delivery opening being determined by the nature and amount of the material which is to pass through it.

At or a little above theidelivery'opening which, while obstructing part of the opening, has its rear end spiraled upward, as at 87, to loosen the material and allow the latter to drop more evenly through the unobstructedportion of the opening as the feeding-plate revolves. y

In order to more thoroughly loosen and agitate the material in the hoppers 22, each feed-shaft 26 is provided with two laterally and oppositely arranged stirring-arms 38; each stirring-arm being of resilient strap material and so arranged that it may yield and wind up around its shaft and thereby shorten `whenever too forcibly resisted by the material upon which itis acting.

Means are provided for elevating the sand, cement, and other materials delivered into the hopper 16 from the hoppersy 22 and at the same time thoroughly mixing said materials; means also being provided for adding the water to the mixture. "A' sheet-metal elevator 39 extends from nearv the bottom of the large hopper 16 directly upward through the slieet-metal top 2.4 of the frame 10 and as high as necessary to deliver' material to a building, the elevator being inseparable sections of, say, ten feet in height, so that it can be built up as the building progresses. This elevator has downward extensions 40 on its lower end which are footed upon the bottom 41 of the hopper' 16, and the greater part of its weight is supported by two channel-.iron bea.iiis"42 which extend through the frame 10 just above said hopper.v

A flange 43 on the outerside surface of thel elevator 39 rests upon the slieet-metal top 24 ofthe frame 10, ami is riveted thereto. In cross-section, this elevator 39 is shaped as two circular conduits 44 and 45 of equal diameter which open into or overlap each' other, and each conduit contains a spiral conveyer adapted to be revolved and co-act with the conveyer of the other conduit in raising and mixing the materials.

Each conveyer comprises a central shaft or core witb a spiral lip, the. lip of each conveyer filling its inclosiiig conduit with only a working clearancevand extending entirely to the core of the other conveyer with just a working clearance. The conveyers are of the same spiral pitch and are revolved in vthe same direction by means later described.

As best shown in Fig. 4, which represents a vertical section on a diametric line of both conveyers, the lip 46 of the conveyer 47 projects outward from its core 4S on a line at right angles to the line of axis of said core,

so that material being conveyed upward will have no tendency to slide off said lip except by centrifugal force. The lip 49 of the other conveyer 50 projects just beneath the lip 46 durinfr action of the two conveyers, for purposes ater stated, and in place of projecting at right angles to its core 51 this lip is so 'and the shafts 48 and -51 of said conveyers extend down through said bottom and are footed in bearings 52 and 53, respectively, in the framev 10. To revolve these conveyers 47 and 50, thel shaft 51 of one of them is provided with a beveled gear-wheel 54 which may be driven from any suitable source, for example, a gear-wheel 55 on an electric motor 56 mounted in the frame 10.`

Above the gear-wheel 54, the shafts 48 and 51 of the conveyers are provided with gear-pinions 57 and 58, which are operatively connected by a third gear-wheel 59 in order to have them revolve in the same direction. j

To drive the feed-shafts 26 of the hoppers 22, a small sprocket-wheel 60 is mounted on the shaft 48 of the conveyer 50, and motion is imparted from this sprocket-wheel to a much larger sproclret-wheel 61 on a shaft 62 journaled vertically in the frame 10. This shaft 62 is in turn provided with a small gear-wheel 63 which drives the gear-wheel 81 aforesaid. l

In operation of the partsl described, the hoppers 22 are filled with the different dry materials to enter into the concrete mixture, and the feed-shafts 26 revolved to feed said materials down into the large hopper 16. As the materials run down into the hopper 16 around the conveyers 47 and 50 they are caught up by the lips of said conveyers and' started on their course upward through the conduits 44 and 45. The conveyers 47 and 50 are revolved at a speed, of say, three hundred revolutions per minute, this speed being thought to be sufficient tov pick up the material as it runs down around said conveyers at the bottom of the hopper 16 and carry it upward. The conveyer 47, however, having its lip projecting out at right angles as aforesaid, gathers up a greater amount of the material than the other `c0nveyer, and leads on thework of elevating it. In revolving, the conveyers 47 and 50 thro-w their load of material outward by centrifugal force into contact with their inclosing ally work them upward and mix them. 19'

With the two conduits Lland d opening' into each other, and with the lips @i6 and 49 of their conveyors interprojecting each other, part or all ot the material carried by each conveyor leaves it by centrifugal force on arriving' at the opening between the two conduits and is thrown onto the lip of the other conveyor. lilith the full upper sur face of the lip i9 shapedl to meet the edge of the lip 4G of the other conveyer in action as aforesaid, will meet approximately onehaltl of that portion of the edge of said lip "4:6 which projects into the conduit 45; and

Since the meeting portions of said lips move in opposite direct-ions, materials thrown from'the' lip 4G onto thevsurface of the lip i9 will be ii'istantly thrown back onto the lip 4G to start on further movement upward. ln handling the materials in this way, the sand, cement, and other component dry parts are thoroughly,mixed before reaching the top of the elevator 39, ln arranging' to add the water to the materials as a final part of the complete mixing process, mixing' mechanism is provided and placed at the upper end of the elevator 39. This mixing' mechanism comprises a vertical cylindrical casing @el which is set at even height with the tops of the conduits 44 and Llf and secured in contact with both of them, the lower part oit this casing,r being' reduced in size and formed into an outwardly-curved delivery spout 65, A castw iron cap 6G closes the upper ends of the conduits all. and Ll5 and easing Gel, and forms a bearing for the shafts 48 and 5l of the conveyers. A vertical shaft 67 extends down throughthe axial center of the casing 6% and through the lower wall. G8 of the spout portion (55, the upper end of this shaft being journaled in the cap whilc its lower end is journaled in a bi'acltet'-69'bolted to the conduits -i-l and el. The shafts 48 and 5l of the conveyers are provided above the cap 6G with gear-wheels 70 similar to those at the lower ends ci" said shafts, these gear-wheels 'ZO being,` connected by a third gear-wheel '7l mounted on said cap. The upper end of the shaft G7 of the casing (Si is also provided with aV Lear-wheel 72, and is driven by engagement of said gear-wheel with the gearwheel 7l. inside the casing 64, the shaft 67 is provided with a series ot' lateral arms 73 which act to more thoroughly miX the materials delivered into said casing by the conveyers all and 50, these arms being set in a spiral line around said shaft and being curved in advance direction in order to avoid too centrifugal an act-ion on the material.

To supply water to the material, a tubular ringT 74 is arranged at the upper part of the casing' (Si and provided with a line ol small perforations l5 entirely around it.v Water is supplied to the ring Tel through a pipe 76 leading up from a suitable source, this pipe being' branched to clear the casing 6i and entering the ring at two points. Theowater from the ring the materials as the line particles of the latter are being agitated and mixed by the arms 73, with the-result that every grain of the material is brought into contact with the water and a .superior quality of concrete produced.

A flaring protector 77 is fitted and secured in the casing' 64: just above the ring 74 to prevent the perforations in said ring being clicked by the cementing` properties of any of the materials used.

Having thus described the invention, l claim v l, ln a machine ci' the class described, a vertically disposed elevating mechanism comprising two circular 'conduits opening into each other, revolving' spiral conveyers arranged in said conduits, the lips of one conveyor projectingl at a right angle to its core, or shaft, while the lip of the adjacent conveyor is inclined to its core and projects beneath and works in Contact with the firstnamed lip, said conveyors serving to raise the material in a dry state, a return con veyer adapted to receive the discharge of said conduits, means contained in said return conveyor for agitating'. the contents thereof, and a sprinkler system contained within said return conveyer adjacent the top thereof, substantially as described.

2. In a machine of the class described, mechanism comprising' a vertically disposed elevating means consisting' of parallel conduits opening' into each other and containing spirally flanged enacting' conveyors, means for rotating' said eonveyers in the .same direction, which serve to mix and raise mate- -rial in a dry state and a return conveyer projecting' downward and adapted to receive the discharge of the two conduits at the top, and means for agitating and spraying contents of the return conveyor, as described.

3, A device of the character described consisting' of a conduit having combined elevating and mixing meanstherein and a second conduit connected with and leading' downwardly from the upper end of said elevating and mixing means conduit and having agitatinn' and sprinkling' means therein.

lVitness my hand this 1l A. D. lill-l.

AUGUST W. ALTHOFF. lilitncsses J. W. BoNss, A. M. Bonus.

tropics er this eetcafe may ne obte-nient for nre cents each, oy addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

I Washington, E. tl.

day of March,

74 is sprayed down through 

